School Info, Enrollment & Policies

Admissions Requirements

The Board of Admissions takes into consideration your academic record, professional experience, as well as aptitude for music-related studies. Applicants must have proficiency in the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking, and must have completed high school/secondary school by the time they enroll at Berklee Online. Our comprehensive evaluation of each applicant is designed to assess an applicant’s ability to succeed at Berklee Online.

Refer to the undergraduate degree admissions requirements page to learn more.

Application Form

Berklee Online requires applicants to apply online. The fee is $75.00 (non-refundable), to be paid by credit card at the time of the application submission. Note that all correspondence related to the application will be addressed to the email address provided on the application.

Supporting Application Materials

1. Video presentation (uploaded to YouTube) or essay (500 word) in which applicants:
   
   1. tell us about your background, particularly any experience with music and/or the entertainment industry
   2. share goals for pursuing a degree program in music business or music production
   3. discuss career aspirations in music
   4. describe how a degree from Berklee Online will help achieve personal, professional, and creative goals
2. Two letters of recommendation:
   
   1. one academic/professional
   2. one personal (not by a family member) that attests to his/her personal character
   3. Note In the application, applicants will be prompted to submit the email addresses of the people writing letters of recommendation. They will then receive a link to submit their letters online.
3. Official transcripts (all documents must be in English; international applicants should review additional guidelines below):
   
   1. one official copy of a high school transcript or official GED (for applicants with more than 24 college credits completed, a copy of the high school diploma or transcript may be submitted instead)
   2. official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended or currently attending
4. TOEFL or IELTS score for applicants whose first language is not English.
5. For some majors, a recorded audition or portfolio of compositions is required.

Mail application materials to:
Berklee Online Admissions
855 Boylston St, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02116

International Applicants/Students Who Have Studied outside the United States or Canada

International applicants and those applicants who have studied outside the United States or Canada have the following options:

• Submit official academic records for evaluation by an accredited credential evaluation agency, such as the Education Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org). Ask for a course-by-course evaluation with grades. Evaluations must be recent (from within the past five (5) years), must be completed by a NACES approved agency, and must include copies of the original records reviewed. Students who select this option will receive an admissions decision within two weeks of completing their application requirements.

• Submit official academic records for evaluation directly to Berklee Online. Please see our International Student page for more information.

  Students who select this option will receive an admissions decision within approximately four weeks of completing their application requirements. Please note that in some cases, additional time may be required.

Documents submitted to Berklee Online can be sent to the following address:

Berklee Online Admissions
855 Boylston St, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02116

TOEFL Requirements
Applicants to the degree program whose first language is not English are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score to complete their application for admission. Berklee Online recommends the following scores:

• TOEFL: iBT (internet-based): 100; Computer-based: 250; Paper-based: 600
• IELTS: 7.5 or higher

Homeschooled Applicants
Homeschooled applicants must submit an official copy of their high school transcript detailing the courses they completed and the grades that they earned in them during each year of study. This transcript must also include a date of graduation, and must be signed by the student’s education supervisor. No document can be considered official unless it comes directly to Berklee Online from the homeschool education supervisor. Copies of diplomas are not considered sufficient as proof of high school completion. Homeschooled applicants must also provide any additional documentation required by the state/province in which the homeschooling was completed.

Contacting Berklee Online Admissions

Toll-free within the United States and Canada:
1-866-BERKLEE (1-866-237-5533)
Outside the U.S. and Canada: (617) 747-2146 Option 1
Email: advisors@online.berklee.edu

Prior Learning Credit

A maximum of 30 prior learning credits may be earned toward a student’s degree. To gain prior learning credit, a student must first be accepted into a Berklee Online degree program. The student must then enroll in the Prior Learning Portfolio course, in which they complete and submit a portfolio, consisting of a resume, written narratives, and supporting documentation, such as business plans, production projects, scores, or audio. The materials should demonstrate what the student learned, where the student learned it, and how that learning equates to the course(s) for which the student is seeking credit. The student should draw parallels between stated course objectives as shown on Berklee Online course syllabi and the learning through work, volunteer activities, or other experiences. Students should avoid using proficiencies gained in undergraduate-level coursework for which they received transfer credit. Prior learning credit can not be granted if the student is seeking credit for a Berklee Online course that closely resembles one that transferred from their previous institution. Students are also precluded from seeking prior learning credit for failed Berklee Online coursework as well as their capstone course or OPLG-402: Private Guitar Lesson 9. Once the portfolio has been submitted, the academic advisory committee will review it and issue final approval for prior learning credits. For more information on prior learning and associated fees, visit https://online.berklee.edu/degrees/about/prior-learning-credit.

Transfer Credit

Berklee Online recognizes the integrity of college-level coursework completed at other higher education institutions and strives to award as much transfer credit as possible to assist students in pursuit of their academic and musical goals.

A maximum of 60 transfer credits aligned with a student’s degree program can be accepted from external colleges and/or universities with regional accreditation. Courses must be passed with a grade of comparable to C, 73%, 2.0 or better.

Students who have completed credits through Berklee prior to matriculating may also transfer their coursework, which does not count toward the 60 external credit limit.

In rare cases, transfer credit may be granted for coursework completed at a nationally accredited institution. Accreditation must be granted by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This credit is granted solely at the discretion of the Dean.

For more information, student should refer to the Transfer Credit Policies here.

International Credential Evaluation

International applicants and those applicants who have studied outside the United States or Canada have the option between submitting their official academic records for evaluation by an accredited evaluation company or having these evaluated by the Credential Verification Team at Berklee Online.

International applicants who are seeking to have their academic records evaluated by Berklee Online should consult the International Students webpage for more information.

While the precise requirements vary by country, most students will be required to submit an official copy of their academic record. This is a document provided by an issuing authority such as an institution or examination board and lists the subjects completed and the grades/marks earned for each year of study. In many cases, additional documentation such as a copy of the student’s diploma, certificate, or a verification report may also be required.

Official academic records must be sent directly to Berklee Online by the issuing authority (institution, examination board, etc.) in a sealed envelope that has been stamped or signed across the back flap. If the issuing authority provides the official academic record to the student, the student can send it to Berklee Online provided that they have not opened the sealed envelope. If the envelope is opened or there is no stamp or signature from the appropriate authority, it cannot be accepted as official. Do not send original documents to Berklee Online, as these will not be returned. If the student is only allowed one copy of their academic record, they will need to bring this document to their institution, who can attest that they have seen the original record(s) and provide a certified or an attested true copy to Berklee Online.

If the official academic record and/or credential is not issued in English, the student will need to provide a certified, literal English translation. The translation cannot be done by the student and must instead be completed by the institution, an embassy, or a professional translation service. Translations must be literal, word-for-word, complete, and in a similar format as the original.

The Credential Evaluation process cannot begin for a student until their application has been submitted and the Berklee Online Admissions Office has received all required academic records. Evaluations will take approximately two weeks to complete; however, in some instances, additional documentation may be required and/or more time may be needed.

All international academic records will be assessed in relation to US standards. As such, certain grades/marks, credentials, or academic levels may be determined to be different than what is reflected on the student’s record. While the student will be notified when their evaluation has been completed, they will not be provided a copy of their evaluation. If the student fails to provide documentation that meets the admissions criteria, their application will be considered incomplete and no admissions decision can be made until the appropriate academic records are received.

Acceptance Into Berklee Online

Placement/Proficiency Testing
Entering students may take a music proficiency assessment and other exams specific to their major. The results of these assessments are used to place entering students in classes appropriate to ability level.

Orientation Course
All Berklee Online degree students are required to complete an online orientation course. The purpose of the online orientation is to ensure that students are well prepared to take online courses. The orientation course should be completed by 5:00 P.M. on Sunday prior to the start of the semester.

Acceptance Expiration
Admission acceptances are only valid for four consecutive semesters.

Acceptance to Berklee College of Music versus Berklee Online
Students accepted to Berklee College of Music who wish to pursue a degree through Berklee Online will need to apply for admission to Berklee Online. Documentation provided to Berklee College of Music during the original application process may be used during the application process for Berklee Online. Students who are dismissed from Berklee College of Music may not apply for admission to Berklee Online.

Students accepted to Berklee Online who wish to pursue a degree through Berklee College of Music will need to apply for admission to Berklee College of Music and go through the audition and interview process for Berklee College of Music.

Acceptance to one degree program does not confer acceptance to another degree program.

Rescinding Acceptance
Berklee Online reserves the right to rescind acceptance to any of its degree programs under certain circumstances, including but not limited to providing misleading information on the application, significant decline in academic performance after acceptance, providing incomplete academic records, and violations of the Berklee Code of Community Standards. Decisions on whether a student’s acceptance will be rescinded will be made by Berklee Online senior leadership, and the student will be notified via email. Decisions on the rescinding of acceptance cannot be appealed.